


A Magical Switch

by Phoebe_Snow



Series: Your Touch is Like Magic [13]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adult Content, Alternate Universe, Angst, Awkward Boners, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bodyswap, Crack Treated Seriously, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Avengers, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Imagine your OTP, Magic, Male-Female Friendship, Menstruation, Romance, Sensuality, Sexual Humor, Wanda is always aged up in my fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:07:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24611272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe_Snow/pseuds/Phoebe_Snow
Summary: Wanda and James swap bodies.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov
Series: Your Touch is Like Magic [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1027895
Comments: 35
Kudos: 66





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve become a hardcore James and Wanda shipper in the past couple of years and I decided that I needed to create a multi chapter tale that deals primarily with their relationship. This is a Winterwitch fic first, but there will also be Romanogers because having two otps is even more fun for a fanfic. I've never written a body swap story, but I’ve always wanted to since it’s not my usual fare. I hope you guys enjoy it.😘

* * *

  
Wanda yawned and looked out the window. The sun had gone down hours ago and even though she wasn’t wearing a watch and there was no clock in sight, she knew it was late. Loki left a few hours ago and asked her not to stay up too long. She said she wouldn’t, but this particular book was too interesting to put away.

The young witch loved being an Avenger, but she also wanted to learn other ways to use her magic. When she vocalized her wish, Thor suggested that he bring his younger brother to visit for a while. Loki was well-versed in magic and he had many books that taught the reader different techniques to use.

Steve could tell that Wanda would benefit from the experience and even though he was a bit hesitant at the thought of her spending time with Thor's mischievous brother, he knew she’d be alright. James said he would check up on them from time to time.

Even if he didn’t, she knew how to fight and if the young prince tried anything, he’d get his ass kicked from here to Sunday. Thor thought of Wanda like a younger sister and, so he told Loki not to try coming on to her. They didn’t call him silver tongue on Asgard for nothing.

Loki agreed of course, and he meant it. He had no desire to get his ass 'tore up' as Natasha Rogers had so eloquently put it and her husband, Steve, would gladly take a pound of flesh too. They had forgiven him for his past offenses, but were somewhat wary of him which was understandable.

Above all the threats the god of mischief received from the Avengers - they looked after their own in an endearing, but annoying intensity - the one he got from the sergeant, James Barnes, was the most aggressive.

He was in a serious relationship with Wanda, so he let Loki know that he’d be checking in on their sessions from time to time. If he made her uncomfortable in any way, James would see to it that his body was never found. As the soldier said this, he’d been cracking his knuckles with a friendly smile on his face. How quaint.

Mortals were so protective of the people they were close to, especially their lovers. Then again, so were Asgardians. The prince recalled many a day when he glared at Thor's head any time he and Sif were in each other’s immediate vicinity. Thankfully, he learned that they were just friends.

Sif told him herself and swatted his shoulder, teasing him for being jealous, although it was quite amusing to see him green with envy. This took place many years ago, hundreds, by Earth standards. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Loki and Sif began to court each other. They harbored deep feelings for one another, so there was no way he’d jeopardize that by seducing Wanda. 

The witch was young, but wise beyond her years and eager to master her magic so it wouldn’t be overwhelming for her to handle. When it came to physical combat, she'd been taught by the best, but the enhanced abilities she received from the mind stone was a completely different situation. It was important for her to have mental sharpness and clarity so she could use her powers effectively.

A year ago, Wanda started using her magic to help James heal from the scarring that being the Winter Soldier did to his psyche. Some days were better than others, but she’d made a lot of progress with him. Now, he hardly had nightmares about his past and the memories of the murders he’d committed as a HYDRA assassin were submerged deep into his mind.

He didn’t have any trouble sleeping and he was more cheerful. In the process of doing his mind therapy, they grew close and a romance blossomed. James and Wanda had been dating for seven and a half months and it was clear to everyone how much they cared for each other. 

"I was wondering where you were."

The familiar voice made Wanda's lips curve upwards in a smile and she turned to see James walking up to her perch on the window sill.

"Well, you found me." She yawned again.

"It's past one. You should be in bed." James stood next to her and raised his eyebrow in a playful way.

"I know, I know. This book Loki loaned me is so interesting though. Asgard has a rich history in magic, but it’s also a science for them. This section in particular is about the different ways to link your minds with someone else's. It's fascinating. If I had a book like this when we started your therapy a year ago, it might have taken a shorter time to finish."

"Yeah? I guess that would’ve been nice, but we might not have gotten to know each other like we did. I’m glad things turned out the way they have." James took her hand in his and stroked the knuckles.

She smiled. "Me too. Who would’ve known that I'd fall in love with an old man?"

James rolled his eyes fondly. "It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage. I may be 'old' biologically, but not in _other_ ways." He sent her a seductive smile and she felt her cheeks warm, knowing full well what he meant.

"So are you coming to bed or do I have to carry you to your room?" His fingers tickled the back of her hand.

"Okay, I'll stop. My eyes have been getting tired." Wanda slid off the window sill and started to close the book, but as the pages flipped, a section in the back caught her eye. "What’s this?" She turned to the area she had seen and was surprised to see that the paper was glowing.

"Is that normal?" James didn’t know why, but he felt a little uneasy.

"No. None of the other pages were glowing." The longer she looked at the page, the darker it became and a strange pattern began to appear. 

"You should close it." There was an urgency in James' voice and he felt his spine tingle. Whatever was going on with this book, she needed to shut it quickly before something happened.

She nodded in agreement, but her eyes widened as the beautiful multicolored image on the page seemed to burn into her mind. Wanda felt so strange, like she was floatingin the air, surrounded by a heaviness she couldn’t explain. Her fingers moved towards the page and she was aware of a voice calling out to her before an explosion of light knocked her unconscious.

* * *

James coughed and lifted his head. He was still in the library, but lying on his back several feet away from his previous position. There was a painful ringing in his ears that began to subside the moment he got to his feet. Once the sound was gone, he remembered what had just happened. Wanda. The book. Some strange discharge of setting off.

He blinked, confused by how small he felt. The heavy weight of his arm was something he was used to by now, but why did he feel so light? He realized in shock that he was shorter and his mechanical arm was gone. Not only that, but his arm much thinner and covered in black fabric. 

The soldier cursed under his breath as he carefully looked over the rest of his body. His hands were slender and his fingernails were painted dark blue. He wore an oversized gray shirt with a small Avengers insignia in the middle of it and thin black leggings. A touch of his head made him aware that his hair was up in a bun on his head. And cleavage. He had _breasts_ on his chest.

"Oh, shit," he whispered to himself. The clothes he had on were the exact same ones that Wanda was wearing when he found her in the library. A groan nearby took his attention away from the female body he now inhabited and he rushed across the room to find Wanda.

James hoped she wasn’t hurt, but when he saw her on the ground in front of him, he stopped and stared. His body had sat up and was staring down at himself. "Oh, my God. What is this?" 

It was bizarre to see himself as a different person, like he was having an out of body experience. The unfortunate thing is he wasn’t dreaming.

"Wanda?" 

His body turned towards him and let out a gasp, eyes wide with fright. "James?"

He nodded. "Yeah, doll. It’s me."

Wanda’s eyes grew as big as two gold pieces and she looked at herself in her lover's body again, particularly the heavy mechanical arm. Her hands raised to touch her chest and she groaned, hating the feel of flatness instead of her soft bosom. The organ between her legs was even more frightening. She met his stare with her own. "The book did this."

"Can’t say I’m feeling so good about magic right now." They both winced, uncomfortable hearing the feminine sound come out of his mouth.   
  


This wasn’t right. He was a man, dammit, not a woman. It was unnatural for people to swap bodies like this, not to mention disturbing. James wondered why and how this could’ve happened, then scowled. There was one person in this building who was called the god of mischief and a magical body swap had to be right up his alley.

_Loki, you are a dead man._


	2. A Problem of Body-Swapping Proportions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _James and Wanda discuss their predicament with Steve and Natasha. Also, Wanda learns something new about her boyfriend._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to change the rating of this fic because there will be some sensual scenes and frank talk about sex and bodily issues. It won’t be particularly graphic, but I wanted to err on the side of caution just in case.

* * *

The emptiness between James' legs was probably the most disturbing thing he'd ever experienced in his entire life, even more than getting his arm replacement. He felt like he’d been emasculated and he really wanted a stiff drink right now, but Wanda's tears had taken his full attention. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms.

"I’m s-so sorry, James. I wanted to put the book down, but I couldn’t. It’s like...I was drawn to it."

"Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart. We’ll figure this out." He frowned at the sight of his slender arm - man, that was weird to look at - but shook off the unease. Right now, his girlfriend needed comforting.

Being in a smaller body meant that he was now lighter than her, but her bulky frame clung to him as a child did to their mother when they were in pain. If this situation weren’t so bizarre, it’d be funny. When she stopped crying, there was a resolute expression on her face.

"Loki must’ve done this." An angry glint appeared in Wanda's eyes and James made sure to keep his hands over hers.

"That’s what I think too, and as much as I’d like to break his nose, we need to alert the others first."

"Are you kidding? The last thing I want to do is face our team while we're stuck in each other’s body! I _really_ don’t need to hear Tony cracking jokes about our predicament." Her eyes were wide with alarm.

She had a point. The billionaire loved to tease his fellow Avengers to an annoying degree. For a grown man, he could be very childish sometimes. James could handle it, but he was sure that it’d be a struggle for his girlfriend. "Alright. So we won’t tell everyone. We’ll talk to Steve and Natasha. They’re the leaders of the team anyway and they handle dangerous situations all the time."

"You think our body swap is dangerous?"

"Wanda, you have telekinesis and reality warping powers that you can summon at any time. I have no idea how you control them, so this is definitely a dangerous situation."

She nodded, feeling dread at his words. "Right. Then we’d better get Steve and Nat."

* * *

After a brief discussion, they decided that James should be the one to wake Steve and Natasha up. Since he was in Wanda's body, his footsteps were lighter and he was more likely to not accidentally wake their friends up in alarm.

James opened the door as slowly as possible, hoping that his friends weren’t naked under the sheets. Once, he'd overheard Natasha telling Wanda how sometimes she and Steve fell asleep after making love and he really didn’t need to see anyone's naked body. Well, anyone besides Wanda's.

He moved forward silently on his tiptoes until he was on Steve's side of the bed. A trembling hand reached for an arm and he shook the limb until it moved.

"Mm? What?" Steve's eyes opened gradually and his hands reached for the light on bedside table, turning it on. When he realized who was standing there, he sat up. "Wanda? Is everything okay?"

James let out a nervous chuckle. "Definitely not. Can you and Natasha get dressed and meet me in the living room?"

The confused expression on Steve's face quickly turned to concern. His eyes grew serious when he saw the tension and anxiety in Wanda's - or who he thought was Wanda - eyes. "Yeah, just gimme a few minutes." He turned to Natasha, who was already beginning to stir.

While Steve spoke to his wife, James briskly made his way out of the Rogers' bedroom. Wanda had been walking back and forth down the hall and stopped when she saw him coming.

"Hey."

"They’re coming," was all he said. She nodded and together, they went to the living room.

It didn’t take very long for Steve and Natasha to join them since they were used to sleeping for just a few hours on some days. They sat down and their friends followed suit.

"What’s going on, you guys?" Natasha asked, looking at the two of them curiously.

Wanda sighed. Well, the moment was here. "You’re going to think this is crazy, but James and I have switched bodies."

All they got was blank stares.

"That’s a bad joke, Barnes," Natasha rolled her eyes.

"I’m serious, Nat. You’re looking at James, but I’m really Wanda! That stupid book Loki gave me did this to us. It’s some kind of magic and I don’t know how to reverse it since I'm in James' body."

James chimed in. "The sooner we reverse it, the better. I don’t have the foggiest idea how to use Wanda's powers and the last thing we need is for me to accidentally activate them." He looked down at his hands with a worried expression.

Steve watched his friends closely, a frown appearing on his face. Bucky and Wanda weren’t the type of people who woke someone up for no reason and practical jokes were also unlike them. That was Tony's area. As he dwelled on what he’d just been told, he found that he believed them.

"So this was a magic spell?"

Wanda rubbed her hands on her - well, James' - legs. "Yeah. It had to be. I was looking at the book, reading this section that talked about how to link minds. It was so fascinating that I lost track of time. James came to the library coax me to bed and I was closing the book when I noticed this strange glowing symbol towards the back of it. I opened the book to the page and it’s like I was taken over by some powerful force. I knew it was dangerous, but I couldn’t put it down."

James took her hand in his soft one, rubbing circles on it. "This has to be Loki's doing. He is the god of mischief after all. I know that Thor says he’s changed, but maybe he pulled the wool over his eyes. We can have blinders on when it comes to family."

"That's possible, but Steve and I gave him the all-clear." Natasha glanced at her husband before continuing. "I'm good when it comes to reading people and I didn’t notice anything in his demeanor that would’ve given me pause...but since this switch was caused by the book, we definitely need to talk to Loki as soon as possible."

"Great. It’s agreed. We’ll talk to him now." Wanda stood and started to walk around the couch, but James jumped up and put his hand on her waist.

"Babe, just a second. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go charging into Loki's room and demanding an explanation. We’re both upset and we need to cool off before doing anything." He sent the other couple a look that said "Help me!"

Steve spoke first in that familiar Captain America tone. It was the voice he used when he gave his teammates instructions on Avengers missions and upon hearing it, Wanda stopped in her tracks and listened.

"Bucky is right." He furrowed his brow and turned his head to look at what was Wanda's body, but inside, held the mind of his best friend. "I understand that you’re angry, Wanda, but you’re in a completely different body and you don’t know your own strength. Beating Loki up wouldn’t change your situation. Just go to bed and we’ll discuss this with him later."

"That’s a solid plan, although I may have to hit him with my widow bites for doing this to you." Natasha shook her head. "Thor's going to be so disappointed."

Wanda squealed, a sound that came out more like a strangled grunt in James' deep voice. "You're not going to tell him?"

The redhead sent her friend a pitying look. "Not right away, but after we speak to Loki, we'll have to contact Thor. He asked us to inform him if Loki did anything troublesome and this counts."

James nudged Wanda before she could argue. He wasn’t sure how her powers worked, but he could sense the frustration and annoyance running through her. Back when they first started his therapy, she told him that sometimes when a person's emotions were very strong, she could feel them brush against her mind. It was an odd sensation, but intriguing all the same.

He replied, "Alright. We'll get some sleep and deal with Loki later today."

Steve's eyes darted from Wanda to James before he nodded. "We’ll see you in the morning." He and Nat said their goodbyes and in a few moments, they were alone.

"That went well," James said.

"I guess so." Wanda sighed and covered her face with her hands, then she pulled the mechanical one back, shocked by the cool metal against her face. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"Speak for yourself. Your period is in two days and I’d really love for us to switch back before that happens."

"Nonsense. Experiencing a menstrual cycle would help you connect with your feminine side." She smirked at him.

The crack didn’t faze James. He merely scoffed. "I don’t have a feminine side and the only reason I have one now is because I’m inside of _your_ body."

"You had to say that." Wanda let out a groan.

"Of course. That pun has never been better suited to a moment than right now. Come on. You need your beauty sleep and so do I. Baggy eyes are unattractive on women." He took her hand and winked at her.

"You’re a schmuck," she answered with a chuckle.

Together they walked to James's room and once the door was shut, Wanda turned to him, a grimace on her face. "Um, I have to pee."

He got in bed and gave her a funny look. The moon was shining brightly through the blinds, so they didn’t need extra light to see each other. "Okay."

"What do I do? I’ve never had a penis before, you know." Her words were sarcastic.

"Oh, all you do is stand over the toilet. You know that."

"Yeah, but I give you privacy whenever you go. How do you get the pee to go directly into the water?"

"By holding myself."

Her ears must have turned red after hearing that. It’s not like she and James hadn’t seen each other naked before, but this was another thing entirely. "You hold your penis while you’re peeing?"

"Yeah. I have a steady stream and it doesn’t go all over the place, but sometimes you have to hold it. Particularly when you've got a lot of urine."

"So it’s like a ready, aim, fire kind of thing?"

"For the most part, yes." James sounded sympathetic, but she had a feeling that he was fighting back the urge to laugh.

Wanda sighed and made her way to the bathroom. This was going to be a unique experience.


	3. Dress Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _James and Wanda get dressed and have an interesting conversation about their predicament._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the long period of time you guys had to wait for this chapter. I haven’t forgotten about this story, I promise. My life is starting to get a little busy and it’s going to take some getting used to.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is basically fluffy, funny filler because James and Wanda are going to have some awkward moments as they adjust to their new bodies. I’m sure you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.❤️

* * *

Wanda woke to the feel of a heavy weight on her chest. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a few times before her eyesight was clear. James' body was half on top of hers. His head and arm were on her chest and one of his legs was over hers.

Taking careful notice of the mechanical arm on her left, she pushed James away so she could breathe without having a restriction on her body. The clock read 10:43 am. A bit later than she usually got up, but she didn’t mind. She could tell by the moisture under her arms that she'd need to take a shower. A brief glance at James' sleeping form made her smile in spite of their predicament.

It was unusual, being disconnected from her body in such a way. The selfish part of her hoped they wouldn’t switch back though, because then she’d have her period the day after tomorrow. It'd be interesting if James would experience menstruation. Of course, she’d be there for him and keep him supplied with medicine and whatever snacks he wanted, but she wouldn’t let him forget it as long as he lived.

Heading to the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes and stared at her naked body in the mirror. Well, it was James' body, but since she was possessing it, she considered it hers right now. It was surreal, looking at herself in the reflective glass to find the face and body of her lover staring back.

Freaky Friday - the Lindsay Lohan remake - was one of her favorite movies, but she never expected to live it out. Wanda curiously poked her finger at the place where her mechanical arm was fused to her flesh. She could feel the arm's connection to her body when she moved it, but wasn’t painful, thank God.

As eager as she was to get in her body again, Wanda realized that she had an opportunity to learn more interesting facts about a man's body than James could ever tell her. _This could be an educational experience_ she thought as she stepped into the shower stall. 

Picking up a washcloth and the bottle of Old Spice body wash James always used, Wanda began to clean herself off. The warmth of the water felt good on her skin and she smiled in content. Once she reached her penis - wow, that sounded weird in her head - she halted.

She had seen and touched the organ before, but that was during very different circumstances. A feeling of resentment rushed through her as she gingerly cleaned the shaft between her legs. Man, she really missed her own private parts.

Once her entire body was clean, she stepped out of the shower and turned on the fan. She dried herself off and hung the towel on the wall rack, walking into the bedroom to find something to wear. James wasn’t big on fashion, but he dressed himself well. Most of his clothes were dark colors that made him look good.

In a brief amount of time, she found a dark green v neck and a pair of black relaxed fit jeans. She remembered months ago when she asked him if he was interested in skinny jeans, but he scrunched up his nose in disdain.

"Tight pants should never have become a thing for men," he had said with a shake of his head. "The last thing I want is to have jeans stretched across my ass like spandex. I’ll stick with what. I have."

That got a big laugh out of her because it was such a James thing to say. He could be a little old fashioned in some ways, which Wanda personally found sweet and charming, but he also adjusted to the 21st century more easily than Steve had.

As she put on the jeans, she took one last look at the flaccid member tucked into the boxers she wore. Hopefully, she wouldn’t get a hard on while she was in this body. That was something she didn’t think she could ever live down, especially if James were around to witness it.

Speaking of her boyfriend, he was still sound asleep on the bed. Wanda walked over to his side of the bed and pursed her lips. She looked down at her hand and a slow smile came on her face. Her mechanical hand reached out to touch his soft shoulder. He awoke with a jolt, letting out a little squeal at the cold feel of vibranium against his bare skin.

"Ah, what the hell?!" He moved away and glared at Wanda as she laughed.

"That’s not funny! Your hand is cold!" James scowled at her and she found it doubly hilarious how adorable he looked when he was mad. It occurred to her that this was what he saw when he teased her and she didn’t like it. Being in her lover's body _did_ give her a new perception on things.

"It kinda is funny," she replied with a snicker.

James swatted her flesh arm in distaste. "If you wanted to wake me up, you could’ve done it in a way that wouldn’t have shocked me."

"Hm, maybe next time, but you’ve got to go to your room - uh, my room and get dressed."

"Oh." He sat up in bed, suddenly noticing that she had put on some of his clothes. Then he looked down to himself and grimaced. Out of all the things he hadn’t wanted to experience, putting on women’s clothing wasn’t on his list.

"Could you come with me? I don’t want to pick something that’s not your style."

Wanda chuckled in amusement. "James, all of my clothes are my style. Just grab a skirt and a blouse."

The soldier crossed his arms in defiance. "Hell no. I don’t care if I’m inside of your body." He grimaced. "There’s _no way_ I’m putting on a skirt. You’ve got pants and that’s what I’ll wear." He huffed and left the room, heading to Wanda's bedroom across the hall. She followed him, grinning as she went.

Once she was inside, she closed and locked the door to give them privacy. She hoped that Vision wouldn’t phase through her walls again while James was changing. That would be an absolute nightmare. The android was only a year old, but he was ridiculously slow to understand human customs and why they were appropriate.

Vision and Wanda had often sparred together in their Avengers training sessions and she was polite to him, but he honestly weirded her out a bit. After Ultron, her experienced with androids hadn’t been favorable. Of course, Vision was different, but she wasn’t sure she could ever get used to him completely. Maybe she would when he got better at interacting with humans, but right now, she couldn’t.

As for James, he had a problem with the android because he seemed to be taken with his girlfriend. He knew the red skinned being could tear him to bits easily, but he still watched him carefully in all of his interactions with Wanda. Unfortunately, the soldier had been in her room when the phasing incident happened.

When Vision walked through the wall of Wanda's bedroom, she and James were in the middle of a passionate lovemaking. James didn’t hold a grudge by any means, but he was uncomfortable around the being. Wanda couldn’t blame him for that. Vision had seen several seconds of her topless and writhing on top of her lover before apologizing profusely and quickly phasing back out of the room. Talk about a cockblock.

"Have you decided what you’ll wear?" Wanda sat on the bed and leaned forward.

James rifled through her closet and pulled out a short sleeved dark blue t shirt. A smile was on his face as he said, "Isn’t this the old shirt you stole from me?"

"You gave it to me," she corrected him with a raised eyebrow and a masculine drawl.

"Fine, whatever. I’ll wear this...and these leggings." He tugged the sleep dress over his head and started to put the shirt on, but she stopped him.

"Wait. You have to put a bra on first."

Wanda found the expression on James' face - well, _her_ face - quite amusing. Her lover's eyes widened and then he looked downwards as if he’d forgotten that there were two plump breasts on his chest. A sigh left his mouth.

"I may need your help." His words came out so quietly that Wanda almost missed hearing them.

"What do you mean? You’ve seen me in bras before." Wanda walked other dresser and pulled out her favorite black Playtex bra. 

"The only knowledge I have about bras is how to take them off, not put them on. I never dreamed I’d be wearing one myself either." He grumbled, but accepted the undergarment. For a moment, he stared at it like he was trying to figure out the secrets of the universe. Then he spoke again. "Can you help me put it on?"

Fighting back a twitter of laughter, Wanda nodded. "Sure." She stood behind his back as he looped his arms through the straps and pulled the hooks to the first three holes. "Is that comfortable for you or should it be tighter?"

James made a little humming sound and tugged the bra down on his chest, making sure that no bits of breast were poking out. "Yeah. That’s fine."

"What about the straps? Do you want them looser?"

"This is good. I don’t feel constricted." He turned around to look at her. "It’s different than your other bras."

"Yeah, this is a bralette. It's made to be more comfortable than ordinary bras. I figured you would like that."

"You thought right. Thanks, Wan." Before he could stop himself, James leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against Wanda's lips.

The witch was surprised by the kiss, but she kissed him back, settling her flesh hand on his waist. They stared at each other for a moment and leaned forward again to share another smooch. Wanda blinked curiously and touched her mouth.

"That was interesting." She wrinkled her brow.

"But still kind of the same, only you kiss differently as me," he replied.

"Well, nobody kisses like you, so I guess I’m a poor substitute." 

"I wouldn’t say that. It’s just a change, is all." James put his arms around her waist and she leaned into his embrace. 

Because of their height difference, she had to hunch her heavier form down a little to rest her head on his shoulder. It wasn’t a strange feeling because many times in their relationship, Wanda had taken James into her arms and comforted him so. Neither one of them wanted to let go and they continued to stay in the caress. 

After a while, James started to get warm from Wanda's proximity and he drew back, sending her a tiny smile. "Here’s hoping that Loki can switch us back."

"Yeah. I'm crossing my fingers." She sighed as she watched her lover pull on the leggings, the old t shirt he found and brush his hair. His movements were a bit awkward, a sign that he was still getting used to the change of his new, temporary body.

"If this does take a while to reverse, I’m gonna miss sex." The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them and her eyes widened as she realized what she'd just said.

James turned to look at her in surprise, but his eyes dimmed. "Well, we could experiment..." His voice trailed off as he looked at her from underneath his eyelashes and he lifted his hand to graze her flesh arm.

The touch sent tingles down Wanda's spine and she bit her lip. His offer was attractive to her, but she wasn’t sure why. Was it appealing because she felt the interest that a man felt towards a sultry woman or because seeing James' attempt to seduce her while he was in her body was a turn on? Did her interest mean she was a kinky narcissist?

"Penny for your thoughts." He patted her arm to bring her attention back to him again.

"Oh...experimenting does sound intriguing, but if we did and Loki can’t change us back for a while, there’s a chance that _you’d_ get pregnant and _you’d_ have to deliver the baby." The brunette fought an urge to laugh when James' face turned red.

"And just like that, I am completely against anything sexual until this thing is solved."  
  



	4. Not An Easy Fix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Loki shines a light on James and Wanda's predicament, but the solution to their problem isn’t going to come as quickly as they think._

* * *

Loki knew something was wrong before the knock sounded on his door. Because of the intensive knowledge he had of magic, there were certain supernatural events he could sense that was second nature to him. When he opened the door and was greeted by Steve, Natasha, James and Wanda, he froze.

There was a wave of strong magic that was a part of Wanda's aura because of her reality-bending powers. Surprisingly, her magical spirit was quiet, not the bundle of animation that he knew it to be. Odd. It was almost as if her powers were inactive. The god took notice of how awkward James and Wanda were, how differently their gait was when they walked. Right away, he understood what happened to them.

"You’ve switched bodies." He said it in a matter-of-fact way.

James' body shook with anger. "Of course we switched bodies! You know that because _you_ did it!"

Loki shook his head. "As much as I wish I could claim that your current misfortune is my doing, it isn’t. I truly had nothing to do with this."

"Then explain about the book," Steve said, putting a hand on Wanda's shoulder to keep her from throttling Loki. The body may have been female, but there was no mistaking James Barnes' glare behind those green eyes.

"Book? What do you-? Oh, Odin's beard..." Now he motioned for them to come inside, knowing that this would be a very embarrassing conversation.

Once they were all seated, he began to speak. "Before any of you decide to thrash me, keep in mind that this happened many years before you were even born. As you’re aware, I’m called the god of mischief because I played many magical pranks on people on Asgard and other realms."

They looked at him as if to say "Get to the point, stupid." Mortals could be so impatient. Ah, well.

"Now, long ago I used to be jealous of the friendship between Thor and Sif. They were close friends and it made me jealous whenever they spent time together. So I created a spell that would make them switch bodies."

James snorted. "That must have been an everyday thing for you."

"Not _every_ day, just often enough. Will you let me finish or are you going to continue with the interruptions?"

The soldier scowled at him, but it didn’t have the same effect since he was in Wanda's body.

"As I was saying, I created the spell, but I had never done anything of that magnitude before. I was very young at the time and as much as I loved magic, I was still impatient when things didn’t work quickly. After some time, I chose to abandon the spell and put it in the back of a magic book I rarely used."

Wanda sighed and rubbed her face with her flesh hand. "And that happened to be the book you gave me to use."

"It wasn’t intentional, believe me."

Steve made a humming sound in the back of his throat. "Why did the book react when Wanda touched it, then? Didn’t you put some kind of seal on it it so nothing like this would happen?"

"I did, but the spell must have reacted to Wanda. This is just a guess, but perhaps her magical abilities reactivated the spell. Magic responds to users in other realms in ways you humans have yet to see or understand. Although, in this case, you both are experiencing it." He said this to James and Wanda.

"Well, how do we fix it? Is there a counter spell you can create or mix some kind of potion to make it go away?" James sounded tired and Loki empathized with him.

"It’s not that simple. Everything you’ve learned about magic from your movies and television shows is all wrong. Spells can’t be fixed with a potion or another spell. Any time you bring in another magical element to change your magic-based problem, you inadvertently make it worse. Spell can only be broken by sheer force of will or after a long period of time when they wear off."

"Well, that’s less than ideal," Natasha spoke softly. "What if they’re stuck like this for years?"

Wanda and James widened their eyes in fear and looked at each other. Loki wasn’t a mind reader, but he could almost feel the amount of tension in the room. These two were very uncomfortable with this situation and they needed a solution as quickly as possible. No doubt it was awkward and scary to be in a body that didn’t belong to you, especially a body of the opposite sex.

Wait. Maybe that was it.

The young god walked back and forth in his room, thoughts churning in his head. "Pardon me for asking a obvious question, but the two of you aren’t happy being swapped, correct?"

"No shit," James grumbled.

"Of course we aren’t," Wanda said, frowning at him.

"Alright. Now think about how you view life when you’re comfortable. Everything is enjoyable, you can take your time doing things. You're not tired or upset about anything and you can live life at a leisurely pace."

"But when you’re uncomfortable, you’re not happy. Your situation looks bleak, you’re in an unfamiliar and frightening position, you feel helpless and insecure. You feel like you’re trapped and there’s nothing you can do about it. Does any of that describe how the two of you feel right now?"

They both nodded, realizing that he was on to something.

"I think the solution to your swap is your discomfort. You have to allow yourselves to fully relax in each other’s bodies before you can switch back. Once you accept your predicament, it’ll go away."

"Wait." Wanda put her hands on her hips in a feminine gesture that was quite funny in James' body. Loki kept silent about that though. The soldier didn’t know how to use Wanda's powers and the last thing he wanted was to aggravate him.

"So the spell made us switch, but our attitudes are keeping us locked into each other’s body? Like an emotional barrier of some sort?"

"Exactly. Remember, spells and magic on Asgard are different than the kind you use here. They’re more entwined with the soul and the workings of one's mind. It’s a science as well, so in order to get rid of it, you have to change your way of thinking."

"Are you really trying to help us, or just trying to prevent your ass from being beat?" James eyed Loki carefully, still wary of the trickster.

The other man scoffed. "Why would I lie about this? That’s a waste of my time and yours. I’m aware that my...colorful past actions towards the people of earth and the Avengers have given you cause to distrust me, but I assure you, that is not who I am anymore. Call Thor if you’d like and he’ll tell you the same."

"They did," came a voice from the doorway.

The four occupants in Loki's room saw Thor walk in. He frowned at his brother. "Didn’t I tell you that some spells should never be played with?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Come now, if you’re going to start lecturing me about my past behavior, you can skip it. I know it was a mistake to keep that spell in the back of my book, but I cant change that. I am truly sorry for the trouble it has caused you." This last sentence was directed at James and Wanda quite soberly.

"He speaks the truth," said the thunderer. "My brother rarely, if ever, apologizes. He’s also not the kind of person to look genuinely remorseful when he’s done something wrong."

"That’s good, but it still doesn’t solve our problem." Wanda ran a hand through her hair. "I don’t know if I could ever feel comfortable in James' body. It's stressful because I don’t belong in it."

"And these breasts sure as hell don’t belong to me," James grumbled.

"Yes, I understand, but you must get past it. Remember what I said earlier. This magic requires you to broaden your mind and let go of your fear. The stress and frustration you're both feeling is what gives the spell its energy to keep you in each other's body. Until you stop fighting it, you won’t switch back."

"As crazy as that sounds, it makes sense." Steve crinkled his brow. "I've seen a lot of crazy things in my time and this is definitely one of the strangest." He put his hand on Wanda and James' backs, which was a gesture of support.

"I understand that you’re both afraid of hurting yourselves and others because you don’t know how your bodies work. You've seen one another in action many times in the field, but that’s nothing compared to having to access those capabilities on your own. One of the best ways you can learn to be comfortable is by learning how to use your abilities. Wanda, Bucky, you need to teach each other how to fight."

_"What?"_

"Babe, that’s brilliant." Natasha smiled at her husband in pride. "He’s right, you two. Wanda, you said that after we trained you, you felt more in control of your powers and that you weren’t afraid that you might accidentally hurt someone. Training must be the key to fixing your switch."

Loki chimed in, "And this is something they’re better off doing alone since Wanda's powers are considerably dangerous."

"Already taken care of," Steve said. "We have a room completely made out of the vibranium that T'Challa donated to the Avengers. Since it’s the strongest metal on earth and the room is designed to withstand a nuclear attack, it’s the perfect place for them to practice."

"Okay, so I guess we should start by exercising first since that helps us know what our bodies can take." James looked up at his lover and she smiled a little.

"I need some breakfast first. My stomach has been growling nonstop." Wanda patted her belly.

"Same here. My stomach's been feeling a little weird, too." He looked at the others. "Well, thanks for the information, Loki. I’ve been hard on you and I’m sorry about that."

"No apology necessary. I’m sure if I were in your position, I’d be quite upset as well. I hope that you’ll be able to switch back to your own bodies soon."

"So do we," Wanda declared. "Thank you for the support." She smiled at everyone, then grabbed James' hand and they went off in search of food.

They were halfway to the kitchen when James suddenly bent over and started to groan in pain. The feeling in his stomach that he’d just mentioned had turned into an acute stabbing pain. His hands went to his stomach and he let out a groan. "What is this?"

Wanda lowered herself to his level and bit her lip, sympathy on her features. She knew exactly what was happening. "Looks like my period started early."

"Oh, shit."


	5. Like Elmer's Glue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Wanda comforts James during his - ahem - menstruation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to make this chapter humorous, but it didn’t feel right. Wanda does tease James very mildly, but she understands how uncomfortable and painful a period can be. So she’s affectionate and sweet to him. This chapter is basically domestic hurt/comfort fluff.

* * *

  
"Do we have any morphine?"

"Morphine?" Wanda echoed as she adjusted the heating pad on James' stomach. When she realized that he was starting his period, she rushed him to her bathroom and instructed him how to put the maxi pad on the underwear he wore - yes, he was embarrassed to wear her bikinis, but his boxers certainly wouldn’t fit him since he was in her smaller frame. 

She stayed in the bathroom with him and if he hadn’t been in pain, he would’ve noticed how unsexy being half naked in front of his girlfriend was in that moment. Wanda told him that she also had tampons, but he quickly replied that he didn’t care to push the cotton into his privates. Honestly, she agrees it’s him. He was in a lot of pain and nervous too, so he might’ve hurt himself, if he tried using a tampon.

"Yeah. If you could find a syringe and shoot me up, I know I’d be able to handle these cramps better. Ah, damn!" The now-petite soldier clenched his teeth and squeezed Wanda's mechanical hand.

"You don’t need morphine. I gave you an echinacea and two probiotics. They should be kicking in soon." She watched him squirm in the bed and sighed. She understood all too well what that ache was like. "If I had my powers, I could lessen the pain for you."

"You can do that?"

"Mmhm. Once I learned how to control my psionic ability, I was able to use them on myself and numb an injury or a sting whenever I needed to. I guess that’s one of the things I’ll have to teach you to do when your period is finished."

He groaned and covered his face, red color flushing on the apples of his cheeks. "Please don’t call it _"my period"_. That just sounds wrong."

"But it’s accurate. After all, you’re the one in my body right now, so it really is _your_ period."

"Yeah, yeah." He gave her a pointed look. "You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?"

"That you’re hurting? No. I could never enjoy watching you like this, but...I’m also glad I'm not the one on my period." She looked at him apologetically and wiped his sweaty brow with a cool cloth.

James' teeth clenched as he replied. "I understand. If I had to go through this every month, I’d be relieved for someone else to get it too."

"I guess there’s one good thing you can take away from it."

He laughed. "And what's that?"

"You'll have a healthier appreciation for women now." Her green eyes sparkled in mischief.

"I have that in spades or did you already forget how much I appreciated you three nights ago?" His voice sounded husky and he managed a wink at her.

Wanda smiled, remembering that night. They’d eaten a wonderful picnic dinner in the grassy field behind the Avengers complex. It had been a cloudy day with a light breeze, perfect for outside activity.

Wanting to surprise James, Wanda cracked open a country cookbook and made all of the food for her date. The results were very encouraging. Buttery corn on the cob, green beans with bacon bits, creamy mashed potatoes, mac 'n cheese and fried chicken. She made enough to feed four people, which was just right. James' metabolism was faster than the average man due to the super soldier serum running through his veins, so he had to eat more.

His delight in the meal she’d prepared was expressed by his moans of pleasure and affirming words, which gave her joy. A couple of hours passed while they shared cheerful conversation, and at one point, he kissed her. Needless to say, they stopped talking after that.

James was always passionate in bed and that night was certainly no exception. As a matter of fact, things got so heated between them that Wanda had to create a psionic bubble to conceal their naked bodies and silence their voices from any prying eyes or cameras.

That night was incredible and she kept dreaming about how gentle he'd been as he pushed his way into her body. They'd been intimate plenty of times before, but that night was different. Their lovemaking was slow and tender. He filled her as much as he could and they both reached their climax simultaneously. It was the first time that ever happened for either of them and Wanda was sure she’d never forget it as long as she lived.

"What are you thinking about?"

His words pulled her out of her reverie and she looked down at him. "Our picnic and the fun we had afterwards."

A cheeky grin appeared on his face. "I’m glad to know I made a lasting impression."

"You made an impression on me from the moment I first met you." She pecked his forehead and checked on the heating pad. "Are you too hot?"

"Kinda."

"I'll take the pad off for ten minutes and let your stomach cool." As she spoke, she removed the pad and dabbed at James' skin with a dry towel. "I just wish I could do more for you."

"Forget it. It’s enough that you’re here with me." He reached for her hand and tugged, urging her to lie down next to him.

She obliged him and pulled his head into her chest, running her fingers through his long hair. It was strange, the way their positions were now reversed. Wanda had periods that were very painful and sometimes it was a struggle to use her powers to help. On those rough days, James would cuddle with her until she fell asleep.

Besides that, he always got her favorite snacks: Twizzlers, peanut m&ms, white cheddar cheese popcorn and teriyaki beef jerky. He also made sure that she got some kind of beef and vegetable soup because she always craved it on her period.

Some men were uncomfortable being around their girlfriends when they were menstruating, but he wasn’t. It'd been many, many years ago, but James had a younger sister once, so he wasn’t new to the concept of periods. People made far too much of a big deal about them in his opinion. Periods were a normal bodily function that women experienced and the stigma surrounding them was ridiculous.

His head was small against her broad chest and Wanda felt a sweep of protectiveness run through her. She also was aware of how perfectly James fit in her arms, like a little spoon. That thought made her smile and she kissed the side of his neck.

After several minutes of holding him, she glanced at the clock. It was 10:08. She’d eaten a bowl of fresh fruit that she’d cut up and set aside yesterday afternoon, but he refused to get something. She hadn’t even gotten him to drink a breakfast smoothie - she was great at making those.

"You should try to eat something," she said as she rubbed his arm. "You’ll feel a little better with food in your stomach."

"I’d like to feel better _now_ ," he retorted.

She thought for a moment and remembered something she’d read in a book long ago. "I could try giving you a pelvic massage."

"A what?"

"A pelvic massage. They can help with cramping. I used to do it to myself and it worked."

"Huh. Well, why not?" James extricated himself from Wanda's embrace and moved to rest on his back. He sighed, tucking the pillow underneath his head and a smirk appeared on his face. "Be gentle."

Wanda's shoulder shook as she laughed and swatted his shoulder. "Of course I’ll be gentle. That’s _my_ body you’re borrowing, after all." She placed the heel of her flesh palm against his lower stomach and began to rub him in circles. His gasps and light moans told her that she was doing it right.

Sometimes she'd give James a back massage after they came back from a difficult mission. It released the tension in his body, allowing him to unwind and relax. If he was in a lot of pain, she’d pour a homemade herbal tincture on his skin. With the use of her powers, she was able to reach every sore spot he had, but things were different now.

Since she was in his body, she had to use one hand, the flesh one, to rub him down. She didn’t trust herself with the mechanical arm and knew it would be unwise to risk injuring her lover because she didn’t know her own strength.

_The sooner this period is over, the sooner we can start training each other._

Her fingers kneaded the warm muscles, staying in one area for several minutes before moving to another. Wanda knew how to give a thorough massage and she took careful notice of any painful expressions James made. Cringing and clenched teeth meant she had to ease up on the pressure. Neutral expressions meant she needed to apply more pressure.

Wanda was so focused on her massage that she hadn’t paid attention to the fact that James was falling asleep. It wasn’t until he let out a soft, feminine snore that she paused her ministrations and studied his resting form. Gently, she turned him on his back so he’d breathe easier. He whimpered a little and his hand extended in her direction. That made her heart swell with affection. Even asleep, he was reaching for her.

The brunette slid next to her lover again, her hand entwining with his as she pulled him into her arms. The sensation of his chest moving up and down lulled her to drowsiness until her eyes grew heavy and she fell asleep beside him.

**Author's Note:**

> Drop by my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/greenfleeze) or [instagram](http://instagram.com/first.lady.romanogers) and say hi!💞


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